Malta had the third highest rate of first-time applicants for asylum in the EU, relative to its population, according to Eurostat.

The EU's statistical body said that compared with the population of each member state, the highest rate of registered first-time applicants during the third quarter this year was recorded in Germany (2,890 first time applicants per million inhabitants), followed by Greece (1,152) and Malta (1,091).

So far there have been no migrants arriving by boat to Malta in 2016.

In contrast, the lowest rates were observed in Slovakia (seven applicants per million inhabitants), Portugal (19), Romania (22), the Czech Republic (28) and Estonia (30).

In the third quarter, in total there were 702 first time asylum applicants per million inhabitants in the EU as a whole.

A total of 358,300 applied for international protection, up by 17% compared with the second quarter of 2016. From January to September, more than 950,000 first time asylum seekers were registered in EU states.

With 87,900 first time applicants between July and September, Syrians remained the main citizens seeking international protection, ahead of Afghans (62,100 first time applicants) and Iraqis (36,400).

These nationalities represented the three main citizenships of first time asylum applicants in EU states over the third quarter 2016, accounting for slightly more than half of all first-time applicants.